Dear philatelic fanatistics! Oh, yes, how little we know! If Doc Brazdeikis knew what good medicine is, he would commission this druggist to write a great prescription for the Lithuanian Philatelic Society journal (no - you're not yet a member - shame on you!) about various aspects of Lithuanian postal history. With enough new members maybe the Society could hire me to write articles. For example, about Soviet Lithuanian meters. I have a nice collection of these gems. Here are a few just to get you boys excited (forget about "fill in the printed album pictures according to Scott!!!) The first example dates back from 1963 - a bilingual Lithuanian Russian Vilnius main post office meter. Probably one of the earliest LTSR meters (not including the Bank of Lithuania 1941 meter which I also have) that were produced. The second one is a 1976 bilingual meter (yes all good Lithuanians must read and write fluent Russian ) from Kaunas - the October 50th Artificial fibre factory. And you ask - did other cities have such meters? Indeed, indeed ... Buts its past 1 AM, and it is beddy by time for this old philatelist ....

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The pleasure is all mine, Audriau. Throughout the years I have asembled a great collection of meters - prewar Lithuania, Vilnius (Wilno), Klaipėda (Memel), 1940-1941, Ostland, and Soviet LTSR 1963 - 1985. I particularly like the LTSR pieces especially - maybe because I've yet to hear of anyone who has a collection of the same (and I'm not talking about one or two or ten items either). My hats off to those enthuasiasts who are collecting modern post 1991 Lithuanian meters. As I onced joked at the opening of the Lithuanian philatelic exhibition that was staged maybe five or six years ago, I retorted that "I only collect Lithuanian postal history material until 1953 ... " The ignorant collectors in the hall were dumdfounded - the savy - sheepishly smiled!

Very nice, Audriau. I'm glad someone reacted to this meter mail plea. Since meters are not stamps, it takes an astute philatelist to collect such esoterica.I'd be very surprised if we hear from other collectors on this topic (I mean any meters prior to 1990). Such meters reflect the progress (or lack thereof) of commerce and industry. Take as an example the ratio of Lithuanian and Latvian meters in the 1928 - 1940 period. I would dare estimate that there are at least 7-10 times more Latvian than Lithuanian pre 1940 meters. Doesn't that say something about Lithuanian economic prowress? And who would have thought during Soviet times to collect meter mail? Any remaining such items are truly rare (no, not monetarily as unfortunately there is no serious market for such items). My intent by showing two sample LTSR meters in your website was to expound on the fact that we Lithuanians aren't country bumkins and now know two languages! And - ah, yes - on a sadder footnote. Extremely perplexing, though, is the fact that the most new immigrants who have arrived to the United States after 1991 are still your typical HOMO SOVIETICUS. They obsesively and nostalgically listen to local Russian language radio broadcasts, attend their concerts, patronize their restaurants and night clubs, and still prefer vodka as a beverage over wine or cognac. I know this is not a philatelic topic, but all the same, its a very serious social dilema... We as Lithuanians are writing our own death warrant. In 30 years there might not even be a Lithuanian diaspora here in America.